SALISBURY, England—The famous royal silks returned to British horse racing on Thursday, with the first runner under the ownership of King Charles III finishing a distant second at Salisbury.
Educator was the first horse to wear the purple, red and gold silks since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.
Her oldest son and heir, Charles, has taken on the royal stable and Educator was sent off as the 11-10 favorite under jockey Tom Marquand for the Radcliffe & Co Handicap.
Okeechobee won by 4 ¼ lengths in the four-horse race.
The queen’s last runner was Improvise, who was beaten narrowly at Epsom on the day the monarch died at her Balmoral estate in Scotland.
Joe Saumarez Smith, chairman of the British Horseracing Authority, expressed his delight that the king has taken on the royal racing interests.
“Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II left an indelible mark on our sport,” Smith said, “and her legacy will continue to be felt, not only through the horses that will continue to run in the name of King Charles III, but also those she bred who are yet to be seen on the racecourse in the years to come.”
Buckingham Palace said horse racing was a lifelong passion of the queen and the king was “delighted to honor her legacy.” AP
Image credits: AP